Naturo-what?!
Naturopathic medicine is a unique primary health care system – it brings together the best of two worlds by bridging modern scientific knowledge with traditional and natural medicines. It’s based on the belief that every body has the ability to heal itself and focuses on treating the root cause of disease, not just the symptoms.
Naturopathic medicine can help treat acute and chronic conditions, and addresses the whole individual by taking into account the physical, mental/emotional, and spiritual aspects of each person and their condition. Naturopathic medical therapies include clinical nutrition, botanical medicine, hydrotherapy, traditional Chinese medicine/acupuncture, naturopathic manipulation and homeopathy.
In Canada, the naturopathic medical profession’s infrastructure includes accredited educational institutions, professional licensing, national standards of practice, participation in many federal health committee initiatives, and a commitment to state-of-the-art scientific research (www.cand.ca).
The Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine (CCNM), provides more detailed information on naturopathic therapies here. For more information about naturopathic medicine, check out what the Canadian Association of Naturopathic Doctors (CAND) has to say.
